Writer compahy



J. A. B. SMITH TYPEWRI TING MACHINE J Original Filed July 25, 1919Affairs? )4 Patented Aug. 28, 1923.

siren stares rarest orrics.

JESSE A. B. SIVII'IH, OF STAZTFORD, CONNECTECU'E, ASSIGN OR 'lOUNDERWOOD TYPE VVRITEE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A GORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

myrnwnrrme MACHINE.

Application filed .T ul y 25, 1919, Serial No. 313,148. Renewed May 13,1921. Serial No. 469,378.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, J nssn A. B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing in Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and rltate of Conne:ticut, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Typei ritsing Machines, of whichthe followingv is a specification.

This invention relates tolthe paper-carrying devices oftypewriting.machines, par

ticularly Underwood. and other round platen frontstrike machines. 7 I iOne of the objects of the invention is'to improve the meansrortypingentries upon work-sheets, such as shortbilbheads, that'is tosay, upon work-sheets receiving entries 01" say two or three lines, asvfor example a gas-light bill. i I Hereto'fore, the use of typewritersfor making out bills of this character has not been found altogethersatisfactory, because of the amount or. handling" oi"? the bill. whichhas been found necessary in introducing the'same around the platen,thenrolling it forward and adjusting it to typing position, andproi'idiug for the making of the carbon copy, so that in practice thetyping of a bill has not presented substantial advantages over the use apen.

In order to overcome these diiiiculties,I have contrived to introducethe bill into the machine and locate it atthe typing position by asimplified operation, and in this way have made it feasible to typebills of ths character much more rapidly than heretofore foundpracticable, so that the type writer may successfully displace the penin pre ring these bills. I hare'a-lso provided simple means forproducing carbon copies or a succession of bills upon a single recordsheet. 7 In practicing the invention in its pre 't'erred form, the billis not introduced the bacl; of the platen, as heretofore, but is insorted at the front thereof. The bill may be slipped down, bottom edgefirst, between the front of the platen and the usual platenscales, or'wing 'scales which are arranged just in front thereof. it. plate,tablet or board is provided at the front of the platen for locating thebill. Thefingers of the operator may press the bill back against thisupstanding insertion or locating-plate and by yielding Clipgg carbon isfed it'orwardl;

slide it along againsta side gage, bring the topmost blank line upon thebill to proper typing POSIEYOD crosswise of he bill.

The operator also slides the latter up against a gage provided at thetop of the insertion or locating-plate. The bill may now be held Thebill is now ready, because said gagesare in such positions that the billis in correct typing position, con sidered from top .to bottom thereof.The side may be at the left-hand end. or

, the insertion-plate or aligning plate, so that the operator needs onlyto slip in the bill at bodily upward the'distance of one predeterminedline-space, thereby advancing the bill, and may then type the next line;and this line-spacing or work-advancing operation may be performed stillagain it a. third line is to be written upon the bill. Upon completingthe typing oi the bill, the in sertion or bill-carrying plate may berestored. to normal depressed position in readiness for receiving andadvancing th next bill.

For making a carbon copy, a long recordsheet may be inserted around theplaten and behind the locating and advanc ng plate,

andcontrolled in the usual manner by the iced-rolls thereon. is saidsheet with its under the platen and up in front thereof, the operator.by neans of a finger-piece, may swing said locatingplate out of the wayof the advancing record-sheet and its carbon, and said plate may beretured by a spring to nor- .mal position, just clearing the carbon andrecord-sheet.

To enable this worlclocating and advano ing plate to be used for makingentries at yariousheights upon the bills particularly to bring a certainline on a bill into register with the printing line on the platen, orfor I accomn'iodating bills of different sizes or for truing up the billrelatively to the printing line, the plate may be adjustably carriedupon a support, and the line-spacing device for the plate may beeffective on said support, thereby line-spacing the plate together withthe work-sheet or bill upon it.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of an Underwood r-i'iachineshowing my invention as applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional side view of the same, Sl10\ ring a record-sheetbeing inserted.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing a. bill in positionand being typed.

Figure a is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the right-hand end ofFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 8 but showing a bill being typedtwo lines lower down.

Figure 6 is a sectional detail showing av modification to effectline-spacing over greater distance.

Figure 7 is a spread perspective of some of the parts of Figure a,viewed from the opposite side.

In making out bills upon the machine shown, a record-sheet 10. togetherwith its carbon sheet 11 is usually inserted first over the usual rearpaper-table 12, and passed under the platen 18, between the platen andthe front and rear feed-rolls 14c and 15. The fced-rolls may bepreviously cast off, if desired. by depressing the usual casting-offhandle 16. The record-sheet and its carbon, after passing the frontfeed-roll it, pass beneath the usual paper-fingers 17, which areresiliently mounted by the usual brackets 18 upon a rear cross-rod l9,and the sheets are guided upwardly by the deflecting plates 20. Thefeed-rolls LL and 15 will ad vance the sheets when the platen is rotatecby the usual line-space handle 21 or the usual knob 22.

For writing the items upon a bill-head 23, it may be inserted from thefront by inserting its left-hand lower corner behind and below the topof the wing-scales 24-. and be gaged against the side gage at theleft-hand end of an insertion-plate or tablet 26, and be at the sametime slipped upwardly on the face of the plate 26, so that its upper endcatches under a spring clip 27. of which there is one at each end of theupper end of the plate 26. The bill-head is slipped up until its upperend strikes the top gage 28. which, in the illustrated embodiment of theinvention, is shown as in the form of a forwardly-projecting flangealong the upper edge of the aligning plate 26. The clips 2'? hold it inthis position and it is then ready to be written upon if theinsertiomplate 26 or front paper-table has been properly positioned, forthe 28 is to be so set that, if the in sertion-plate is in its properposition the top wr'ting line upon the bill 23 is at the printing point.The insertion-plate 2.6 advantageously about the width of the billheadand its lower edge formed as a toe 29 which rests almost upon theplaten, but is clear of the platen so that the record sheet 10 and itscarbon ll slip easily under it.

lvleans are provided whereby t 1e aligning plate 26 is movable byline-space stages 0' intervals to occupy a series or plurality 0different mechanically-deternlined line-space positions relatively tothe printing line on the platen.

To write upon the second line of the billhead 28, the insertionplate 26or gage-plate is adapted to be raised from its permanent position thedistance of one linespace, thus linespacing the bill-head winch iscarried along with it by the clips To accoinplish this line-spacing ofthe insertionplate 26, there is provided a. line-spacing deice includinga finger-piece 30, herein shown as a knob, provided with a pointer inthe form of a line 31 and which, when rotated, advances or line-spacesthe insertion-plate 26. together with the sheet-holding clips 27 andloading-edge 28 carried thereby. The connection for accomplishing thisincludes a rock arm 31. fast upon the shaft 32, upon which the knob 30is fast. The rock arm 31 extends into a notch or opening in a. rearsupporting plate or opening 3 t, which is fast to and supports theinsertion-plate being held thereto by a screw 35, threaded into an pen--ing 36 and engz ring the margins of a verse slot 37 in theinsertion-plate 26. slot provides sufficient adjustment to enable acertain desired line on the bill 93 to be brought into register with theprinting line on the platen. In order to guide the insertioinplatc 26identically at both ends. th is provided a second rock in 23-8 on theoppositc end of the rock sha'i 3,2. and the pla e 34; extends acrosshevond the second roi arm 33. both rock arms 3i and 3S engaging it.There are a screw and correspinidiuir slot 37 adjacent to each end ofthe sun'iorting plate The tablet or gage-plate i) is uzounted to occupya single working positioin but. the screws and slots provide means foradjustment whereby it inav be trued up at the printing line or adiu tedto litlerent heights to compensate for variations of the printing of thework-sheet or bill-head. The plate 3% and the insertionplate 526 areadapted to he guided by screws of which there is one at each of theplate 34: each screw passing through a slat at) in the 3% and beingthreaded into a turned-over edge of a bracket il supportill?) ed on across-rod 42 extending across the shift frame, there being a bracket 41at each end otttlie supporting plate 34. i

In order to mechanically determine the line-space stages or intervalsand to detain the insertion-plate 26 at any mechanically 42 carries thebracket 41 by turned-up ears 4? or the bracket 41, through which thecross-rod 42 passes, and on which the bracket 41 is prevented fromturnin because a key 48 is seated in a kerf 49 on the rod or bar 42, theears being connected by a hat bail 41 The upper end 50 of one of theears 47 is shown as riveted to an L-plate 51 which forms part of thebracket 41. It should be understood that the brackets 41 are slidablealong the supporting rod 42, to provide,

for adjustingthe aligning plate 26 longitudinally of theplaten 13.

To facilitate the passage of a record-sheet and its carbon beneath theinsertion-plate 26, the plate is adapted to be swung far enough awayfrom the platen to clear the record-sheet even though the sheet is sowide that it bellies out considerably between the fingers 17. Toaccomplish this, the bar 42 is shown as rotatably mounted in ears52 ofbrackets 53, which are adapted to fit upon the cover-plates 54 of theends of the shift frame, and to be held thereto by means of thumb-screws55 adapted to be screwed into the usual threaded openings insteado'f thescrews which usually held the cover -plates in place. To permit therod'42 to rock the plate 26, it is yieldingly held against turning by akey 56, which lies between the ears 52 of one or both ot the brackets'53, and

which is adapted to be pressed into the kerf 49 by a'spring 57 ofordinary form To enable the typist to easily rock the insertiouplate 26,the rod 42 is'adaptedto be turned by a finger-piece 5Sheld fast to itsend by means of a screw 59. It will be observed that the plate or frame34 forms an intermediate support or mount whereby the paper-table iscarried upon rod 42, and that the latter'also forms a main support whereby both table and frame 34 are carried upon the platen-frame Asillustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive,

the billhea-d is adapted to betyped upononly three differentline-spaces. The permanent position of the table 26 is when the detentand locator 43 is in the top notch 45. To enable, the bill head to betyped'at a larger number of line-spaces, the rod or shaftez, as shown inFigure 6,may be provided with a. pair of pinions 60 fast to it andmeshing with ranks 61, respectively, re-

placing-the rock arms 3]. and 38 and the notches in which saia rock armsoperate.

As illustrated in Figure 6, the spring detent 43 is adaptedto seatitself in any one of tire notches 45, thus providing for one permanentposition and l our temporary positions of the table and gage 28. Abill-head to receive five line-spaces would have only four spaces belowthe top printing line, and this much of a bill-head can easily beaccommodated below the printing linein the ordinary Unoerwoodtypewriting machine, above the segn'ient 62 and behind the wingscales24. v

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others, Having thusdescribed my invention, 1

claim:

1. In a front-strike typewriting rnaehine, the combination with arevoluble platen. and an equipment of teed-rolls therefor adapted tohold a record-sheet thereon, or linespacing mechanism for the platen, apapertable above and at the "front of the platen,

said paper-table wholly abovevthe printing line and separated tromtheplaten to permit the record-sheet to feed between said papertable andthe platen, a device for holding a work-sheet to said paper-table, andmeans to line-space the paper-table and the worln sheet held to it. a

2. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with revolubleplaten and front'and rea" feed-rolls therefor adapted tohold arecord-sheet thereon, of a linespacing mechanism tor the platen, apapertable above and at the front of the platen, a support normllyl'iolding thelower edge of said table adjacent the platen, said tablemounted to, be capable both oi 1 tilting movement to enable the leadingedge of the record-sheet to pass "freely beneath it, and

also of a line-spacing movement, a clip adapted to hold a work-sheetoutside of the feed-rolls, and fingerqwiece to move the paper-table byline-spaco intervals to effect linespacing of the work-sheet clipped toit 3. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with arevoluble platenand an equipment of teed-rolls therefor adapted to holda. record-sheet thereon. oi a linespaeing mechanism for the platen, agiva 'aertable above and at the front of the'platen. a device forholding a work-sheet upon the table, a mount for the table, means for adjusting the table upon the mount, and a finger-piece adapted to move themount by line-space intervals to effect line-spacing of the Work-sheetas it lies upon the table.

4. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platenand a platenframe having ends in which the platen is journaled, of anequipment of feed-rolls for the platen, brackets upon said ends, a mainpart between said bracket-s, a table upon support, guides on enable thetable to de upon the main support, a clip for holdcrk-shect upon thetable, means for ill}! the table, and separate means e-spacin theplaten.

in a fronmstrilae typewriting machine, is

inc combination with platen and a platen- ,e tab e to cause it to moveparallel to itself, and a device for holding a Work-sheet to the tablecombination with a platen and a platen ame having ends in which theplaten is sport between. said brackets, a table upon means for holding aWorkrest upon the table to move therewith in ":eeding direction, andmeans for detaining; the table in a succession of line-space poi io s.

'1'. in a frontstrilte typeivriting machine, the combination with aplaten and a platenframe having ends in which the platen is 'iournaled,of bra ChGtS upon said ends, a support between said brackets, a tableadjusts able upon said support, to true the table relatively to theprintingline, a device for holding a Work-sheet upon the table to movetherewith in line feeding direction, a fingerpiece for moving said tableby line-space in-- lervals, and means for tilting' the table to enable aWork-sheet to pass beneath it.

8. in a frontstrike typewriting machine, the combination with a platenand a platen- "'ame having ends. of brackets upon said uds. a tablerising from the frontof said laten. means supporting said table on saidbrackets. the lower edge of said table being above the printing line, arotatable shaft, arms l shaft and engaging said table, a finger-piecefor rotating said arms to slide the table line-space intervals upon thebrackets. a detent for holding the table, and means upon the tablewhereby a sheet may be paged and held by its leading edge.

9. in a front-strike typewriting machine, the con'ibination With aplaten, of a reciproatable paper-table having a clip adapted to hold aWork-sheet to the table, and means independent of the platen for bodilymoving the table to line-space the Work-sheet relatively to the printingline upon the platen, means being provided to predetermine the uvnaled,of brackets upon said ends, a

extent of the advance and return movements of tne table.

10. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination With aplaten, of a reciprocatable tablet erected at the front side of theplaten and having at its top a learlingedge gage and means for detainingthe sheet, said gage occupyino' a. predetermined position relatively tothe printing line, said tablet terminating at its lower end above theprinting line, and means for moving said tablet, and gage upwardly apredetermined extent to permit the typing of another line upon thesheet.

11. In a front-strike typeivriting' machine, the combination With aplaten, of a reciprocatable tablet erected at the front side of theplaten and having at its top a leadingedge and means for detaining thesheet, said tablet terminating at its lower end above the printing line,and means for moving said tablet upwardly step by step to permit thetyping of a succession of additional lines upon the sheet.

12. In a front-strike typevvriting machine, the combination with aplaten, of a reciprocatable tablet erected at the front side of theplaten and having at its top a leadingedge gage and means for detainingthe sheet, said tablet terminating at its lower end above the printingline, said tablet and page being movable from a preo termined positionrelatively to the printing line upwardly step by step to a succession ofpredetermined positions to permit the typing of a succession oi?additional lines upon the sheet, and yieldingmeans independentof theplaten for detaining said tablet in any of such predetermined line-spacepositions.

The combination with a platen, ol a reciprocatable sheet-positioning andearrytablet extending therefrom, said tablet mounted both for movementaway from the platen to facilitate the manipulation of a record-sheetupon the platen and passed under the tablet, and also for line-spacing;movement, means for carrying" a sheet with the tablet in line-spacingdirection. and means for moving said tablet bodily upward to ellcctline-spacing oi. the sheet carried thereon.

let. in a front-strike typ the combination with a p of a tablet Whollyabove the printii'ig line at the front upper side of the platen andhaving at the top thereof a leading-edge age and means for holding a.work-sheet tor typing upon the bottom margin thereof, a rock-shaft upon\vl ich said tablet is mounted for swinging 'liror i the 1' laten, saidtablet being adjustable along said rock-shaft and also being mounted forup-and-down adjustment relatively to said rock-shaft, means for carryinga Work-sheet Wltl1-tl16 tablet in line-spacing direction, means formoving lllll said tablet bodily upward relatively to said rock-shatttoeffect line-spacing of the sheet carried thereby, and means forindependently line feeding a record-sheet inserted between said platenand said tablet.

In a trout-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, ofa table wholly above the printingline at the front upper side of theplaten. and having at the top thereof a leading-edge gage and means for,iolding a worksheet for typing; upon the bottom margin thereof, saidtable being mounted for adjustment bothup and down and longitudinally oftne platen, line-spacing means for the platen for independentlyline-feeding a record-sheet inserted between said platen and said table,and entirely independent means for moving said tablebodily upward toeffect line-spacing of the sheet held thereon. I

16. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with aplaten,ofa gage device having a normal. position at the delivery side of theplaten relatively to the V 1 "e of a printing line to locate the leadinged work-sheet, sheet-.lioldingg; means associated with said gage device,movable means uponwhich said device is mounted and guided to have atemporary sh icing; movement to a predetermined extent relatively to theprinting line on the platen for ailording repositioning of the samework-sheet to ermit the writing oi a succeeding line thereon, andco-operative locating devices to locate said gage device mechanically inits normal and temporary positions.

17. In a tt'roiit-strike typewriting machine,

the combination with a revoluble platen, of

a table erected at the front side oi the platen and having at its top afixed leading-edge and also having; means for detaining a shee saidtable terminating: at its lower end above the printing line, so that thelower margin of the sheet may project belowthe table, to be typed upon,said table and gage being ad ustable from a predeterm ned normalposition to a temporary predetermined line-space position to permittyping of an additional line upon the sheet, and linespacingmecliaiiisir-i comprisingrelatively yieldiiig co-operative devices forlocating and detaining said table ant. gage in either normal ortemporary position, while perniiitting the table and gage to be pressedfrom one.

position to the other.

18. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen,of a gage at the delivery side of the platen for the leading edge of aworksheet, said gage being mounted above the printing line, to positiona work-sheet relatively to the printing line, manually-controlled meansto advance said gage by a predetermined line-space iiiterval and thereto detain it, preparatory to typing another line upon the work-sheet,

and means to detain a work-sheet in position during the typingoperationwith its leading" edge against said gage at either adjustmentof the latter.

19. In a front-strike typewriting ma 1 e om mat on "W1 1 a recon tie chne, th 0 b ii tl i plateino't a leading-edge having a normal position atthe delivery side of the platen above theprinting line and provided withmeans for ad' ustiiient whereby it may be trued up at the printing lineor adjusted to compensate for variations of the printing of awork-sheet, inaiiiiallympeiable neans forallordiiig an adjustment otsaidpositions, and means to hold the work-sheet in position with its leadingedge against SLlC.

gage during such adjustment.

20. In a typewriting machine, the combination w th a revoluble platen,oi? leading-edge gage having a'normal position at the delivery side ofthe platen, whereby said 1s ad ustable to a temporary position to permitan additional line to be typed upon work-sheet gagged thereby, co-

operative locating devices being provided to locate the mechanically inits normal and temporary positions, and means to maintain the sheet inposition with its lead .ing edge against-said gage during such adjiistinent.

21Jln av front-strike t newritin niacliine, the combination with aplaten and a 'platentrame, oil? an aligning table at the delivery sideof the platen and having; 3 leading-edge gage, said aligning table andleading-edge mounted for reciprocat in movements between normal andtern-- porary'line-space positions, and means. iii eluding automaticallyco-operative locating devices associated with saidaligning table andsaid platen-frame, for mechanically locating and detaining saidlTSIblQ-{Uifl ha rein said normal and temporary positions. 22. In afront-strike typewriting chine, the combination with a aligning table atthe tront oii the i above the printing line, mount upon which saidaligning table is carriedysaid table being adjustable relatively to saidmount, to true the table relatively to the prin line, said mount beingadjustable to di'llerent mechanically-looated line-space positionsrelatively to the printing line For correspondingly repositioning saidaligning table, and means for holding a woiii-sheetv on said tableduring the adjustment of said mount. 4

23. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with aplaten, of an ting aosio. suppor ted to occupy a series y-deternnnedspaced at tl ing line and nag n 1 no; line. a:

gage, and line-spacing means inelu locating elei. ent connected with saiand a co-operative locat aed on said support and the positions 0 d'zount- 1 table on said support in any ing element 1;

eat- 7 for mechanical 9; said n1 a. platen, o'

strike typewriting;

JOHL

t a i11 and detainin of at difi erent line with gain 1e tb 1e supportingpla pertine-nts 01 both and )late and also the Wor space positions.pewriting machine, a platen, athe platen having means to ho ie printinga Work-sheet in position for printing a F te ror supporting tl i'or tl 3the table lesheet in the e above elaten, a pla )pert ing ad os 1 plane 029. In a ty 01 and a su] 31] [it tne o" a: e

side said a said 1y ot sa 0 the erv * locatin J 1 -c to saip- Lei ineddeliv l1 step to a series )enden i 4 -1 .tively to t elective I do adust-ah Inf: means :"id 1 13 the table for line-spacing the W01" me topositions in inical ten, a

en with 'apes thereon position to;-

k-sheet in proper g against the platen,

ld a wor sheet.

30. In a typewriti machine, a pla of table above the pie 1 to to ho)rint' .4 platen oi ati ve arovided to ty pc positions.

ted iiiont-str ly-loea the coin" cch;

supportino' 1e table.

i 59; both ends 0 for the supporting p1 tnients of both the he table forline-spacing the Work.

plate for support I port nutting adjus L 0, ant 1L sup able relatdii'l'ei ending-m qus positions. and

mount and an ilKW y and longitud' ten as described.

m6 d the table and the plate and also 1 ,11 sheet both Verticall aidinouiit the p 32. In a typewritin table a the 'n'intin e provided Wit 1'le upon ens.

edge fie air 9; machine, hove the platen havin to sah co. posit ternn heto the platen,

if a Work-sheet on the at said support having ust both itself and thetable I to the platen to provide for l for the workmeans to adj szaege1e men, su

x the table is mounted spacing. )1 e.

rtin means relativel; ine- JESSE A. B. SMITH.

:ne ged e lV tnesses 1e table and the leadin 1 .1 Ys ll 1 5: means and LL m e E E N N n O I W i m m w i A E C 6 m 1 o V s 1l n a e V .01 Ht n aH 0 l ud Q d 6 w.

a my U 1 1 o l \J l L 8 D .1 V .1 a a n n 1 6 it

